Okay, so here’s the thing… shopping for a bridal gown can either be really stressful or surprisingly easy. Think of this blog post as your wedding dress shopping survival kit to avoid becoming a bridezilla. Or, in lighter terms, 5 simple rules to making gown shopping easy-breezy.

Listen To Your Bridal Instincts

Listening to your instincts is super important for a smooth shopping experience and includes only bringing a few select people to join in on the fun. A mother, grandmother, and sister perhaps? You don’t want to get overwhelmed with too many differentiating opinions, especially if the dress you’ve fallen in love with receives feedback like, “are you sure that’s the one you want?” from seven different people. You don’t have to go shopping for a wedding dress alone, but rule of thumb is to keep the group small, and remember, you’re the one who has to love the gown so listen to those trustworthy instincts, girl!

Keep An Open Mind

Maybe ever since you were a little girl, you dreamed of having a Cinderella-like ball gown to wear on your wedding day only for those dreams to be kyboshed because it didn’t suit you.

The secret to locating the dress of your dreams? Keeping an open mind and finding a wedding dress for your body type. It seems that most people find “the one” they least expect and are genuinely surprised over the final gown they’ve chosen. Hint: go shopping with no expectations and it’ll be a way better experience for you.

Remember: Gown Alternations Can And Should Be Done

Does the dress you’ve fallen in love with feel a little too tight around the middle? Does it seem a little long on the end or loose in the shoulders? Sourcing out a local wedding dress seamstress for alternations is something you should do no matter what. If you want to feel like an absolute princess on your special day, this fairy-godmother (or father) will make your chosen dress that much better. Trust me.

Prepare a Realistic Wedding Dress Budget

Unless you’ve managed to find a second-hand wedding gown at a consignment shop or online, shopping for a wedding dress is expensive. This is an actual investment and if you don’t have Mom or Dad paying for it, then you need to make a budget for the dress. If your max is $5000 then don’t even look at dresses above that amount. I can almost guarantee you’ll be tempted, frustrated, and convinced you need it, only to leave with your tail between your legs and hating every other gown you try on. Everything always looks and feels better when it’s over budget. So don’t even think about it! Okay? Okay.

Always Book An Appointment

It doesn’t matter if you’re on the great mission to finding a wedding dress last minute or if you still have two years to try on “the one”, you need to make an appointment at the boutique shops. It’s the stress-free way to go wedding dress shopping and it’s proper etiquette. By making an appointment, your designer will be able to spend more time with you, answer any questions you have, and provide more options you might not have considered.

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Your Big Day

While working in the industry as wedding photographers, we asked ourselves what was one thing that would make our lives easier. The answer was simple, easier access to wedding couples.

Your Big Day is Canada’s wedding connection site! Couples have the ability to search for available vendors based on their wedding date, location, budget and service type, and see the vendors available to them on their planned wedding day.